Muscat: This year’s GPI, produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), evaluates the peacefulness of 163 nations, covering 99.7% of the world’s population.

Oman’s advancement in the Global Peace Index marks a significant milestone, with the country moving up to 37th place globally, a notable improvement from last year. With an overall score of 1.761, Oman now stands as the 3rd most peaceful nation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, following Kuwait (1.622, 25th globally) and Qatar (1.656, 29th globally). This progress is particularly impressive given the region’s historical challenges with peace and stability.

The Global Peace Index, now in its 18th edition, measures peace across three domains: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and militarisation. Oman excelled with a score of 1.504 in the conflict domain, indicating high peace levels, and a score of 1.745 in societal safety and security, reflecting a strong societal framework. However, the militarisation domain scored 2.176, highlighting areas for potential improvement.

Oman’s rise in the GPI follows its significant ascent last year, where it climbed 16 places to 48th position. This consistent upward trajectory underscores the country’s dedicated efforts to enhance internal stability and promote a peaceful society. In contrast, the UAE ranked 4th in the MENA region and 53rd globally, while Jordan ranked 5th regionally and 67th globally.

Despite Oman’s positive trend, the GPI highlights that the MENA region remains the least peaceful globally for the ninth consecutive year, with a slight deterioration in peacefulness by 0.25% over the past year. Four of the ten least peaceful countries in the 2024 GPI are located in the MENA region.